The Internet was initially created to facilitate the life of workers in scientific institutions, then later, for a wide range of users around the world. The positive contribution of the Internet for human development is undeniable. But we can not forget that the Internet, like some of the activities associated with the use of a network or computer, is the source of countless threats. Though apparently virtual, in practice there can be very real and painful consequences. Here is a gallery of 20 most important threats.

Threat 1:

Computer Viruses

The meaning of this term is very broad. We use it to describe classic viruses, but worms, which are able to independently replicate and distribute via email to our contacts, as well as Trojans that enter the system by creating a hole to allow in other types of threats. Often the virus is said to be caused by an infection via USB storage devices, but they can spread in almost any way, such as with an attached file, which may be part of larger malicious software.

Threat 2:

Passwords stored in the browser

A growing number of services that we use is getting longer, as is the list of passwords and logins that we need to remember. To make our lives easier, we allow browsers to store them online and use the auto-login feature. This may result in opening the proverbial Pandora's Box when our computer or smart phone falls into the wrong hands.

Threat 3:

Invasion of privacy and stalking

The word privacy has gained importance in recent years, and now is much more important than ever. We now more commonly share the details of our lives, and this information may be used by cyber criminals or stalkers pretending to be friends and encouraging us to give out personal information. For example, our photos can be used by users of other networks to harm our reputation.

Threat 4:

Hackers

This group of people have a good knowledge of computers and techniques to penetration different computer systems in real time. Their actions are manifested as attacks on our computers and other devices that access the network (including network drives, mobile devices and multimedia), and try to take control over the connection to the Internet.

Threat 5:

Spam

Theoretically spam is unwanted mail, also known as junk mail which should be nothing more than an annoyance. However, often these seemingly harmless emails hide dangerous pests. Cyber Spammer hope that by mistake or out of curiosity, we open an infected attachment, which unfortunately is quite often the case.

Threat 6:

Inappropriate Content for Children

The Internet is full of content that should not reach kids, and yet these types of content can be inappropriately labeled. Additionally, protection in the form of the label of "Adult" or by asking proof of age only increases the child’s interest, thus causing a counterproductive effect.

Threat 7:

Pedophilia

Mental illness has become a threat many times stronger than before the Internet era, due to its universal nature. Predators are active even on the most widely respected websites and forums. Thanks to the anonymity afforded by the Internet and the ease of creating virtual identities, pedophiles impersonate peers or authority figures in order to trick and exploit young users.

Threat 8:

Data Security in the Network

The word cloud is having an outstanding career, and we are increasingly willing to use the advantages of storing a variety of data on the network. Not only our pictures and videos, but also other content created by us, often being the subject of our work. Using cloud services, despite the fact that it is becoming more and more reliable every year, our data is subject to some risk of loss when stored in the network (for example, as a result of the failure of server memory) or it could be stolen.

Threat 9:

Botnets

This is particularly unpleasant form of threat that is invisible to computer users because the software does not perform activities harmful to the user (except for the possible use of computing power and link load). A group of compromised computers (called zombie time) can set up a botnet, which can then be used for criminal activities. Botnets that were once large structures have become smaller, and therefore are harder to detect and block.

Threat 10:

Fake Links and Cookies

Social networks often follow the habits of friends. It is an excellent medium for hackers who can alter code to enforce whatever action is to their liking. We might see that someone we know liked an interesting topic, but when click on the link we are taken to an annoying site we weren’t expecting.

On the other hand, in the case of cookie notifications, you feel obliged to click to accept without even checking to see if it in fact confirms a policy or something completely different. It may happen that by clicking on the innocent-looking notification, we accept unfavorable terms of use of the service.

Threat 11:

Fake Security Software

"Your computer is infected, use our software" is one of the slogans of keys, which in the case of naive internet users, opens the way for cybercriminals to take the machines victim. However even a careful person can become a victim, when they decide to download an antivirus application, which has been praised by other users. In fact, it’s only a fake antivirus program which displays fake messages about detecting and removing viruses, whilst in the background acts against our interests.

Threat 12:

Fake Sites and Phishing

The most common threats of this type are pharming, spoof sites or sites that appear security sensitive, for example bank's website. Pharming uses deception techniques to Domain Name System (DNS) so that the users are directed to fake sites with similar but different IP address. Another type is phishing, which tries to impersonate a famous person to extract sensitive details by taking advantage of your empathy. Hiding forgery facilitates swapping of only a fragment of the page, making it difficult to detect a malicious website address. Phishing achieves a similar effect, but in this case it exploits the naivety of an Internet user, for example to confirm your bank account number or login information.

Threat 13:

Encryption Without Our Knowledge

It is not about incompetence in blocking access to data on a disk, but the deliberate and calculated pest known as a Cryptolocker. It locks your computer by encrypting data stored on it, and to unlock it, the hacker demands a ransom. After the payment, usually in bitcoin that provides anonymity, there is a chance to obtain the decryption key. However, it’s only a slim chance, as the payment must be made even before the expiry of a time period, and payment does not guarantee that the data will be unlocked.

Threat 14:

Stealing Personal Data

Information about the user name, password, access to the service network, and all that is associated with that data (such as account number or home address from the service provider) is, in theory, securely stored. However, cybercriminals are increasingly taking over such databases.

Threat 15:

Condensed Addresses

What started as another form to make life easy to access rich web content, is now being used to exploit the user. Addresses which have an alternative abbreviated version (compared with long original addresses) are easier to remember, take up less space and can be more easily shared. At the same time, they can hide where they lead, and could link to a false website.

Threat 16:

Typos In Web Addresses

When quickly typing in the URL address on the keyboard, it is not difficult to make a mistake with the letters or to forget to enter a character. Although self-respecting website operators take care of registration similar-sounding addresses, this is not always the case. Besides, the number of alternatives is so large that it can be difficult to predict which confusions may arise. Opening the site of a similar sounding name sometimes leads to an insignificant pages with ads, but sometimes it can completely lock your computer.

Threat 17:

Open Wi-Fi Networks

This can be dangerous in two ways. In the first case concerns the configurations of our home networks that are not secured by any collateral and provide unauthorized access not only to the Internet, but also to our data. In the second second ase, when we use open Wi-Fi networks, we don’t always know what we are accessing. Although the proliferation of such networks is to facilitate our access to the Internet, the shortcut may often have lamentable consequences, because we do not know who controls the flow of data through the access point.

Threat 18:

Targeted Attacks

It is a general term for an attack that uses human habits and susceptibility to errors in seemingly trivial situations. Cybecriminals can craft computer pests so as to maximize the chances of their launch. Social engineering is attacked more than software implementation.

Threat 19:

Unchanged Software

The high degree of complexity of the software that is installed on computers and other devices makes it easier for the existence of weak points, or holes. If they are not removed by an update or a new version of the program, they can be used by cybercriminals. This concerns not only the operating system, but all software applications, and above all, security packages.

Threat 20:

Excessive Belief In The Ability To Resist Risks

The last of the dangers that lie in wait for us has its origin inherent in the arrogance of many Internet users, when a user believes that they can perfectly cope with any threat. In practice, such a person is not aware of the variety of techniques of cybercrime. Their faith in their own abilities means that they ignores the real signs of threats to their system.